Hunger Games Galaxies: District 10
by War292004
Summary: The tenth district of the Hunger Games Galaxies, featuring the only OC universe in the whole ordeal hence it not being a crossover . May the odds be ever in your favorite characters' favor. Part 10/13
1. Chapter 1

**The Hunger Games Galaxies: District 10**

Shayla awoke early on the day of the Reaping, and began to fold her bed for what would possibly be the last time. Then it was into the bathroom, where she pressed her school uniform, tied her hair up into a tight bun, and washed her face. She wanted to be ready to go before the rest of her family woke up, and she wanted to meditate before she left.

"Why are you up so early?"

Her mother peeked into the bathroom, the dim light of their house reflecting her warm face. She was always smiling, despite their situation, and she tried to never show weakness or suffering in front of her family. Shayla was the only exception.

"Well, mother, it is the Reaping," said Shayla, as she smoothed out the crease in the uniform. "I want to be sure I'm prepared. Plus, I can't help but wonder if I might be able to See something…"

Her mother nodded and walked over to re-do the bun in Shayla's hair. Her mother had always been open and receptive to Shayla's power, and her affinity with Divination. Her father and brother barely believed it, but Mary Harper knew that some people were blessed in ways, and knew that whatever visions Shayla saw were sent from the Gods, and intended for her to see.

"You know, it's kind of ironic, isn't it?" she said suddenly. "If we'd stayed in Angora… we'd be safe…"

"Yeah…" muttered Shayla.

In District 10, there existed only two countries: Angora and Fortuna. Every year, there was a contest, and whoever lost would be subjected to the Reaping. In old times, gladiators and warriors had decided whose children would have to go under the knife. Warfare was also a common theme, even as recent as her parents' youth. But, now it was a spectacle of sports, where the best competitors from each country would fight for their children. In some ways, this was better; no open bloodshed before the Hunger Games began. But Shayla had Seen, many times, the fates of those who lost in the competitions…

This year, Fortuna had lost by a narrow margin. Born in Angora, Shayla and her brother, Jack, had been subjected to the Reaping every single year because of Angora's recent losses. It was part of the reason her parents had fled the country and settled in Fortuna. That, and to escape the crippling poverty they'd been stuck in for years.

"I've got breakfast going… so… I'll see you soon," said her mother.

Shayla returned to her room and pulled out an old yoga mat she'd found at a thrift store. It was perfect for meditation, and it only cost her a dollar and a half. She sat on the ground, folded her legs, and relaxed her breathing. Cloudy visions of the upcoming day, her focus for this session, floated in and out of her focus. She could see the Initiates on stage as the usual hymns echoed in her ears… and she heard the first name called. She'd seen it called hundreds of times. At first it shocked her, but, no longer. Strangely, that was the only name she'd seen; the other was a mystery to her, and she couldn't See it, no matter how hard she tried.

"You are not meant to know, then," said her mentor, years before. "If you search for a specific answer, and you are not given so much as a hint, then it is not their Will that you See it. You may try; perhaps you are to know it at a later time. But for now… you are not."

"Yes, Lady Shandra, I understand," said Shayla, bowing her head respectfully.

"Very well. Take leave of me; it is time for me to meet with the Initiates," said Lady Shandra.

Siyon. Shayla couldn't help but wonder how her cousin was doing. It'd been almost a whole month since they'd last seen each other; her taciturn cousin was always busy training to become one of the Gods' voices. It was a near-life-long commitment, and they started early in District 10. Shayla was one of the few non-Initiates to have regular contact with people like Lady Shandra, a high priestess in servitude of the Gods.

"C'mon, Shayla, we've gotta go," came the voice of her brother, Jack, through the door.

Shayla calmly returned her focus to the physical world around her, rolled up her mat, and walked down the dark hallway of their house. In the kitchen, her parents were already eating, and Jack was just settling in. Nobody spoke; they rarely did on Reaping days. It suited Shayla well. She didn't want to upset anyone by revealing that she already knew who half the tributes would be.

"We should probably go… they want us to meet at the school before we go," said Jack.

"All right. I love you both. Be very careful, and stay together during the Reaping," said their mother, embracing them tightly.

Shayla almost laughed. Their mother had said the same thing since they'd both become eligible back in Angora. By Shayla's second year, they'd already gone to split off and do different things during the ceremony, watching as each member of District 10 was sent to their death; there hadn't been a victor in Jack or Shayla's lifetime.

"Be safe," said her father, gruffly hugging them both. "I'll be praying for your safety."

It was a short walk to their school, Whitestone High. Their province had won the dubious honor of holding the Reaping, and it was decided that the high school's Moon Stadium would have the best layout. Even as they approached, they could see a lot of activity in the stadium. They were obviously setting up inside; the Peacekeepers were already around, although District 10 was one of the few who hadn't caused problems lately, according to Siyon.

Once they'd arrived, Jack took off to find his buddies and girlfriend, so Shayla went to the sign-in sheet to fill out the required paperwork. Those who were impoverished, like the Harpers, could volunteer for the Reaping and receive a small stipend from the government. It angered them that Fortuna had done that; Angora automatically gave one out to any child who was initially chosen for the Final Reaping. Still, it was necessary, so Jack and Shayla had both signed up, knowing that, with about 5,000 of each gender in the stadium, the odds of them being selected were slim-to-none.

"May the odds be ever in your favor," same a flat voice behind her.

Siyon had arrived, already wearing her hooded robe. She gave Shayla a smile, but her expressionless eyes made the gesture seem unnatural. Shayla smiled, and gave her cousin a quick hug.

"Where's Shane?" asked Shayla.

"You know my brother," replied Siyon, shrugging. "Off to try and woo some girl or brag to some guys about something she did. Have you made your preparations for the Reaping?"

"Yes. The stipend will be sent to our house next week. What about you? Have you Seen anything?" asked Shayla.

"The Gods would not permit me to See, even if I wanted to," said Siyon, sighing. "So I have no idea about who will be Reaped. It might be me, for all I know…"

Shayla snorted. "Not likely."

"I must leave you," said Siyon, vaguely. "Lady Shandra wishes to speak with me before the Reaping."

As she walked away, Shayla found it hard not to feel jealous. Though Initiates were technically unsafe from the Reaping, if they were called, they always had someone who was charged with volunteering immediately. The Gods protected their own, apparently. Shayla sometimes thought it might be worth becoming an Initiate just to gain that protection, but the thought of being in the service of their Gods made her sick.

"The Reaping will begin soon," came the announcement. "Please, make your way into the stadium at this time."

Shayla had just taken a few steps into the stadium when a loud voice shouted to her. She turned to see Melody Moon, her brother's girlfriend, working her way toward her through the sea of people. The rich daughter of the actress and the businessman… dating the poor son of immigrant fathers. Shayla had been the one to foresee it, and indirectly introduced them, but the relationship had surpassed even her expectations. It had only been about eight months, but nobody could imagine one without the other any longer.

"Have you seen Jack?" asked the frantic Melody. "I can't find him anywhere."

"He went to look for you, actually," replied Shayla. "Try… looking for Jesse or Shane; they're probably tall enough to act as masts for him."

"Ahaha… a big, red-headed ship. I like that thought," said Melody. "Good luck today, by the way."

"Same to you. I'm surprised that you're here," said Melody.

"I volunteered. We don't need the stipend, obviously, so I'll just probably give it to your parents or some charity," said Melody. "But if the poor volunteer, so should I."

"Wow… that… was brave of you, actually," said Shayla. "Well… I guess the only thing left to say is 'May the odds be ever in your favor!'"

"And to you," said Melody, hugging her quickly and dashing off into the crowd.

Shayla stood alone as the ceremony finally got underway. The hymns were sung, the opening acts read, and, suddenly, Lady Shandra was standing in the center of the stage. This surprised Shayla; her vision hadn't shown the speaker of the name, but, still, it was a pleasant surprise.

"The woman who shall carry the mantle of destiny into the arena, the one whom we place our hopes in is…" said Lady Shandra, her hand deep in the bowl of papers with the names on it. "… Miss Shayla Harper, from Hannerville."

Heads spun around to stare at Shayla, who would have found the reaction a little entertaining if she hadn't seen it dozens of times before. Her mothers' tears, which she knew were flowing in the stands, were tougher to visualize; she'd seen those, too. She worked her way out of the group, not looking at anyone, ignoring the shrieks and calls of Melody and some of her other friends from school, and approached the stage. She knew there were no sponsors, but her demeanor was meant to show that she wasn't going to go down without a fight. She stood next to Lady Shandra, who lead them in a prayer of protection for their tribute.

"And so… this man shall shoulder the burden of time in the arena, and the other that our hopes are placed in is…" Lady Shandra began, speaking slowly. "… Ty Carlson."

She really hadn't seen that coming, and it made her feel vaguely ill. He was in the elementary school, and couldn't be more than seven or eight. The relaxation of the age restrictions… to think it would condemn someone so young to his death. Shayla knew his older brother; he was a classmate of hers, and it didn't take long before she could see his entire family fighting their way out of the stands and through the sea of students to try and get to him. His older brother, slightly older sister, father, mother, grandparents… all having to be restrained by Peacekeepers as the pale-as-a-ghost boy began to walk forward. Shayla felt a burning hatred stewing in her stomach. What kind of sick Gods were they ruled by to want to witness such a spectacle.

"Do we have a volunteer?" asked Lady Shandra, the smallest traces of pleading in her voice. Even she couldn't handle it.

"I volunteer as tribute!" came a shout.

Shayla felt her heart drop and her knees almost gave out entirely. She'd expected that maybe Blaine would volunteer for his brother, but this wasn't right. The young man who had called out his intentions to volunteer… was her brother Jack.

She had definitely not seen this coming.

**Author's Notes:**

**Short explanation time on how this whole ordeal is going to work!**

**The games themselves are still in progress, so for now I'm only doing the intro stuff. All events that take place in the Districts will be in their appropriately-titled stories in the proper crossover section. Once that's all taken care of and it collapses into one story, I'll put the title at the end of each District Introduction Section (or just click on my author name to find it yourself). **

**The entire story is being decided solely on a complicated series of dice rolls, to prevent bias on my part and to make it so even I have no idea how this is going to end or who is going to win. **

**Let me be clear: this is not going to be an "everyone bands together and fights the evil powers and they all survive" story. As of writing this paragraph, twelve tributes are dead. So if you see your favorite character selected… well, don't get mad if they don't make it through.**

**That's all for now. May the odds be ever in your (favorite characters') favor.**

**ALSO: Starting from here-on, I've put the schedule of updates on my profile, so you can know when the next installments of my stories are coming out. It's not going to be perfect due to my job, so I might miss a few deadlines here and there, but, overall, it's a good indicator of when you can expect things to be out.**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Hunger Games Galaxies**

**District 10 Introduction: Part 2**

Shayla numbly stared at her brother as he ascended the steps to the stage, his face set and furious. He nodded to his sister, before standing shoulder-to-shoulder with her. Most of the crowd was silent, though Melody's anguished wails could be heard clearly throughout the entire stadium. Shayla was certain her parents were equally distraught, though she couldn't make them out here.

"Before I ask you to congratulate and bestow your blessings on your tributes… the Voice of the Gods wishes to address you," said Lady Shandra.

Shayla tried to get Jack's attention as they looked up to the massive screens along the walls of the stadium, but he refused to meet her eyes. Instead, she looked across the stage to where many Initiates sat. She picked out Siyon almost immediately, but her cousin refused to look her in the eyes, too, instead staring pointedly at the screen above Shayla's head. Shayla sighed in frustration and finally turned her full attention to the screen, where the Great Seal of the Gods appeared.

After the usual Hymn they sang to welcome the Voice's presence, the screens faded to the static image of the universe. The Voice welcomed them to the Reaping, making all the usual well-wishes and addressing some of the rule changes they'd already been made aware of, what with the relaxed age restrictions. This was another thing Shayla had seen in dreams, perhaps dozens of times, but as she listened, the tone of the Voice changed, and she realized this was something she hadn't been made aware of previously, either.

"Each year, the 24 tributes provide ample opportunity for not only the Gods but all of you in the Districts to observe each other in a cultural exchange of sorts… but we were wondering… how could we make this exchange even stronger and more varied…?" the Voice of the Gods stated.

Shayla felt her stomach drop out. Her vision became cloudly for several seconds, and she heard what was coming next just before it happened. She cut her eyes to both her brother and Lady Shandra. The latter's face was a mask of grim understanding, and even Jack's eyes were wide and his jaw was agape. He may not have been a Seer, but Jack Harper wasn't an idiot, either, and Shayla knew that he'd guessed exactly what the Voice was about to say.

"And therefore, the Gods have decreed that, from each District, we shall Reap a second group of tributes, ensuring this year's Hunger Games provides even more entertainment than the last!" cried the Voice.

Lady Shandra didn't let the crowd register too much panic before she was addressing them again, trying to keep things under control as much as she could. There was usually no reason for the Peacekeepers to get out of control in District 10, and Shayla knew that well. Between the rumors, stories, and her own visions, she knew that certain other Districts, like 4, 6, and 9, were especially prone to Reaping violence, but District 10 behaved themselves. It was one of the reasons they received the volunteer stipend, or so Shayla believed.

"Our second female tribute, who will take up the mantle of destiny in the Hunger Games arena…" read Lady Shandra. "Nayoko Yakako, from Linthicum."

"I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!" came a beyond-hysterical screech from the front of the tributes.

Before Lady Shandra could even acknowledge her, Melody Moon was on the stage, leaping into the arms of her stunned boyfriend, sobbing openly. Shayla whirled to stare at her, not even bothering to try and hide the shock this time. Gasps and frightened shouts from their Whitestone counterparts rolled through the stadium.

"What are you doing, Melody, are you an idiot?" hissed her brother.

"No… I-I'm not…" said Melody, gulping and wiping her eyes. "I just… I'm not losing you."

"You can't go into the arena," Jack said. "I can't let you do it. Take back your offer."

"That is impossible," Lady Shandra muttered. "Once a tribute has volunteered, he or she cannot revoke their decision. That is the rule."

"I can't… I can't bear the thought of being without you…" muttered Melody. "I want to be there for you… until the end…"

Somehow, the realization of Melody's words suddenly hit Shayla like a truck. Between the shock of seeing her brother, and now his girlfriend, entering the stage with her… she didn't even give a moment to think of the ramifications. In the Hunger Games arena… only one could survive. That meant, at the very least, two of the three of them would have to die. And they still didn't know who the fourth person was going to be.

"The burden of time in the Hunger Games arena will be shared by a second man," said Lady Shandra, back into full-on business mode. "And his name… is Teruhiko Yakako, from Linthicum."

Most of the tributes from that particular suburb must have been way in the back, because it took the teen a lot longer to make it to the stage than it had the others. Shayla watched as the boy carefully mounted the stage, clearly attempting to swagger like it wasn't a big deal. He was huge; Shayla couldn't help but feel that he spent more time in the gym than anywhere else in the world.

"'Sup, guys," he said, grinning at them. "Looks like we're going to the arena together, huh?"

"I… yeah…" said Shayla, nodding at him. "You're… remarkably bright about it…"

"Yeah, well, it's whatever," said Teruhiko. "By the way… Melody, was it? Thanks for volunteering for my sister. She's useless, so she wouldn't have made it more than five minutes in the arena."

"N-No problem…" Melody said, nodding to him. "I-It's a pleasure to have you… Teruhiko…"

"This shall be my final announcement," said the Voice of the Gods, quite suddenly. "To each of our Districts… and to our viewing entities… there is one additional rule change to this year's Hunger Games. If the last 2, 3, or 4 tributes are from the same district, they shall be declared the victor, and the Games will end."

After this final announcement, cheers rolled up and down the aisles, into the stands, as everyone clapped. Teruhiko grinned and waved at everyone, and Melody's tears of sorrow were replaced with tears of joy. Even Jack couldn't help but smile at the rest of the crowd. Shayla, her mind still spinning, waved out the crowd, a half-smile playing across her face, if only to place it in a default look of positivity.

"Citizens of District 10, the Reaping has ended. Rise, now, and bestow upon these brave souls your prayers and congratulations. It is only with your well wishes that our tributes will have any success in the arena."

Once they were escorted from the stage, they were taken to separate rooms in a inn just down the road. They had a few minutes to receive last-minute visits from friends and family before they were going to be taken to the secret location to receive the port to the realm of the Gods. The rooms were fairly nice, though special privacy shades had been installed. A small platter of snacks and other food sat on the desk, and Shayla actually ate a couple of bites of food, realizing how hungry she was.

Among the first to visit were Shayla's parents, as well as her aunt and uncle. Her poor mother's eyes were red and her face was swollen, but she didn't cry at all when they stopped in to see Shayla. She could definitely see tears leaking in the rest of them, however, as she reassured them that they were going to be perfectly safe.

"I must confess… I knew all along that I would be the first one chosen in the Reaping," said Shayla. "I've had dreams and visions of it for weeks."

"You… knew…? You knew this would happen?" asked her dumbfounded aunt. "But… then… why no tell us? We could have done something, maybe gone back to Angora! Or maybe Siyon could have intervened—."

"No… that was never an option…" muttered Shayla's mother. "Once the games were over last month, everyone was locked in to their country… they would have found us anyway."

"What about Jack and Melody? Did you see them too?" asked her father.

"No…" replied Shayla. "I had no idea there would be a double reaping… or that Jack and Melody were going, too. And I certainly didn't foresee the volunteering."

"Are you scared?" asked Shane.

"I was… the thought of it being either me or Jack or Melody or Teruhiko made me very nervous…" said Shayla. "But… now that I know we can team up… I feel much better about it."

There was a knock on the door, and a Peacekeeper ducked his head in, ordering the Harpers to make their final goodbyes. One-by-one, they gave Shayla a tight hug. Her mother whispered one last warning to stay close to her brother, and then they were gone. Shayla had no visitors for a short time, so she contented herself with eating a few more things on her plate.

Several of her close friends from school came to visit her in small groups, some openly bawling, some trying to crack a joke or put on a brave face, and others merely begging Shayla to stay safe and protect the others. She was extremely surprised when a family of four she didn't recognize entered. She nodded and bowed lightly to them, and they returned the gesture, though didn't speak at first.

"May I ask who you are?" asked Shayla.

"We are the Yakakos…" said the boy, who had to be just a year or two younger than Shayla. "This is my twin sister… Nayoko. Your brother's girlfriend volunteered for her. Our older brother is Teruhiko."

Shayla nodded, grimly. "I'm so sorry you had to endure the fear of a double reaping from your own family…"

The Yakako's mother let out a small sniff at that, though she smiled through her tears at Shayla. "I can only imagine what your parents must be feeling right now… we were blessed with a reprieve with Nayoko…"

"But Teruhiko… ironically… has the best shot of getting you through this arena," said the father, his voice vague and high, as if he wasn't fully with them. "He's basically lived in the gym since puberty… so… stay close to him… he'll bring victory to District 10."

"I understand… and we are very fortunate to have him joining us… though I understand the sorrow this causes you. I will do my best to keep him safe as well," said Shayla. "Thank you for coming to see me."

After the Yakakos made their departure, it wasn't long before Melody's parents arrived. Mrs. Moon fanned herself constantly through the ordeal, her make-up running all over her face, while Mr. Moon gave Shayla a strong, tight hug, thanking her for introducing Jack and Melody, and for promising to keep their baby girl safe with her brother. Melody's younger sister gave Shayla a small, gold necklace.

"I gave one to all the others, too," she said. "It's a way to keep you all united."

"Thanks," said Shayla, smiling. "Plus, we'll all look really good during the parade."

"Then… take care. We'll see you in a few weeks," said Melody's father, leading his family out.

Finally, just before Shayla was about to leave the room, the door opened, and her cousin entered. Siyon looked, for the first time, a little scared. Shayla gave her a hug, and the two proceeded to sit on the sofa, back-to-back, as they'd done thousands of times over their lifetime. Shayla closed her eyes and began to push her spirit beyond the bounds of her body, until she was sure she could feel Siyon within her own mind. They began to talk, though through their minds, as opposed to out loud.

"How are you holding up?" asked Siyon.

"Fine," replied Shayla. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner that I was going to be one of the ones Reaped."

"I actually had a vision last night about Jack and Melody…" said Siyon. "I… apologize for being unable to warn you ahead of time."

"It's fine," replied Shayla. "By the way… do you think the Gods can hear us when we talk this way?"

"I don't know…" admitted Siyon. "I know for sure those in other districts and the Gods watching us won't be able to see… but… beyond that…"

"That's fine, I'll keep it short, just in case," said Shayla. "About our… plan… I guess this is fate's way of giving us the green light, huh?"

"Yeah," said Siyon. "So… once you're in the arena… I will make contact with you as soon as I am able to. So… stay alive until then, okay?"

"Of course. I'll try and recruit as best as I can, too," said Shayla. "Hopefully I get some people to believe me and I don't turn into the crazy chick in the arena…"

"Don't worry... lots of people will be willing to make alliances to begin with. Especially now that there's 48 people in there…" Siyon said.

"Correct. In that case… all there is left to say… is thank you, and I'll await your call," said Shayla.

Almost immediately after she said that, they heard a knock at the door. She felt herself falling back into her own body, as she opened her eyes. The Peacekeepers, accompanied this time by Lady Shandra, beckoned them out into the lobby of the hotel. Outside, Jack, Melody, and Teruhiko stood waiting. They were all remarkably put together, especially Melody, who shared the same hard, determined look of the other tributes.

"We will make our way out into a waiting car, which will take us to an undisclosed location for our travel to the Realm of the Gods," Lady Shandra explained. "Remember… though there are no sponsors in this year's Games, you will still be under the spotlight over the next few days. My advice, starting when we walk out the door, is to hold your head high, and do not make yourself a target. It has been an honor to serve as your guide. May the odds be every in your favor."

They didn't speak as they walked outside. Jack and Melody led the way, their arms interlocked. Teruhiko and Shayla glanced at each other, before he placed his mammoth arm around her shoulders, and she did the same to him. At the very least, they were going to show the worlds that they were united, and would be the biggest and strongest District 10 group in over a lifetime.

**Author's Note:**

**This completes the introduction for District 10. Once the remaining introductions are uploaded for the remaining districts, I will finally be able to start writing the story of the actual games, starting with the introductory parade and interviews.**


End file.
